Tony Wells - Racegoers Club column May 2024

Spring is here again. A season of optimism, when we are full of positive thoughts. The days are getting longer, the weather is getting warmer and hopefully the rain will have relented by the time you read this. It’s also a time of transition in racing, when we are saying “see you in the autumn” to our favourite jumps horses and starting to focus on the precocious talents of the latest Classic generation.

Before we park the jumpers, I’d like to reflect on the latest season. And where better to focus than on the Cheltenham Festival. I’m not going to spend too long on the subject, as an awful lot has already been written about the problems surrounding this year’s Festival. Despite all the criticism, there hasn’t been an awful lot coming out of the Jockey Club on what they are going to do to address the falling attendances. To be fair to Cheltenham, some of what happened, such as car park problems and the loss of the Cross Country Chase owing to flooding, was outside of their control.

However, the racing programme, ticket prices and making sure customers are treated well and given value for money are within their gift, and they need to do something to address the concerns raised, because doing nothing is unacceptable. Those people who had a bad experience are unlikely to return next year unless something is done to entice them back. Freezing prices is better than putting them up, but how about offering a two-day ticket at a discount? The Wednesday attendance is in urgent need of a boost.

There’s also a new form of competition, with some punters choosing to fly off to warmer climes to watch the Festival from a sun-soaked bar. There were positive reports from those who experienced the ‘Costa del Cheltenham’ and it could become more popular, as there were several reports of the experience being cheaper than going to Cheltenham. It wouldn’t be for me, but each to their own. I’d rather spend my Cheltenham budget at the Festival. My two days including tickets, accommodation, travel and entertainment came to a similar amount as the punters in Spain were spending on flights and hotels. In my opinion, it’s only cheaper if you’re actually spending less money!

This year’s Festival lacked an ‘I was there’ moment and it’s this that concerns me most. The racing needs to be more competitive, and we need to see the best running against the best. If it means culling some races then Cheltenham must be brave and make those difficult decisions. As I said earlier, doing nothing is unacceptable as it’s likely to result in declining attendances continuing next year.

Looking forward to the Flat season ahead, the Rowley Mile is the venue where we hope to see juvenile promise fulfilled in the first Classics, but we often see bubbles being burst, as last season’s top juveniles fail to train on.

The Guineas meeting recalls one of my favourite racing memories, going back 40 years when Pebbles left her two-year-old form behind and ran out an impressive three-length winner of the 1,000 Guineas. She went on to have an even better four-year-old season, when she became the first filly to win the Eclipse and then capped a brilliant career – and left an indelible mark on the sport – by becoming the first British-trained horse to win at the Breeders’ Cup. My favourite memory of her was in the 1985 Champion Stakes, when she routed a top-class field, with Pat Eddery sitting motionless as she cruised into the lead. Check it out online and enjoy her brilliance.

Here’s hoping one of our Classic winners creates memories that will last as long as those created by the magnificent Pebbles.